07/08/1991 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Roger Neustadter, 135 West Broadway, testified in favor of the proposal. He commended the Downtown Commission and City Council for realizing that the current system is no longer an option and said that he is pleased that the City has recognized the need to contract for services with DEI. Recognizing that parking needs on Saturdays are different from weekdays, he asked that the council consider modifying the proposal to make parking free on Saturday as well. Russ Brink, 132 East Broadway, Suite 505, speaking on behalf of DEI, offered his support for the proposal. He recognized that gross receipts are insuffi- cient downtown to continue the current system and said that the recommenda- tion before the council is a long-term solution that would continue to pro- vide the necessary services and free parking for customers downtown. Mr. Brink indicated that DEI currently has 60 percent of its targeted budget in either signed contracts, letters of intent, or firm verbal commitments with downtown property owners. Mike Schwartz, 2390 Lariat Drive, speaking as chair of the Downtown Develop- ment District lask Force (ODOlF), offered the task force's support for the proposal. He emphasized the need for a marketing program to smooth the tran- sition into the proposed parking program. He said that retailers should support DEI and considering the costs of advertising the program, should be willing to provide validated stamps to the customers. He asked the council to reach closure on this recommendation as soon as possible. Peter Bartel, 2532 Nixon Street, testified in favor of the proposal and said e it is unfortunate that the downtown redesign plan did not receive voter ap- proval. He said that DEI involvement is an important aspect of the proposal and said that the downtown flowers component of DEI's services is signifi- cant. He asked that the City assist DEI in its provision of services by providing it with the basic needs, such as water. He also said that the metered parking lot on 8th and Pearl should be included in the proposal. J. A. Guse, 99 West Broadway, testified in opposition to the proposal. He said that he does not support validated parking. He noted that his clients do not like parking in the Parcade and the Overpark. He agreed that the 8th and Pearl lot should have been included and said that the lot on 11th and Oak should be included as well. He said that he would rather continue the exist- ing parking program with increased tax payments. John Stromberg, 2250 Lawrence Street, spoke against the proposal, noting that validated parking would make customers feel unwelcome downtown. He believes that the preservation of DEI is one of the goals of this proposal. As an alternative, he suggested that the City maintain the ad valorum tax and open- ly confront retailers about how many services they are willing to pay for. He provided the council with a more detailed copy of his suggestions. Cynthia Kokis, 2465 Jefferson Street, speaking on behalf of the Eugene Church of Women United, read from a letter submitted to the Downtown Commission in opposition to the proposal. She said that few citizens have the money to pay for these downtown services. Private merchants should not be relied upon to e MINUlES--Eugene City Council July 8, 1991 Page 4